Eec Ministers Unanimously Denounce Israel’s Golan Move

December 16, 1981

London (Dec. 15)

The Foreign Ministers of the 10 member-countries of the European Economic Community (EEC) today unanimously denounced Israel’s move over the Golan Heights, saying it was in breach of international law and endangered the search for a Middle East peace.

Their statement was issued after the ministers met here for the last time under the present six-months’ chairmanship of Lord Carrington. It said the ministers “strongly deplore” the move to extend Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration to “occupied Syrian territory,” which was “tantamount to annexation and contrary to international law and therefore invalid in our eyes.”

The statement added that it was also “prejudicial to the possibility of implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 242″ and was “bound to complicate further the search for a comprehensive settlement to which we are committed.”